Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Upheaval in the Eastern Sea

The upheaval at the fish market erupted without warning. The surrounding townsfolk scattered in alarm, leaving an open space as they fled, their faces filled with shock and suspicion, pointing and chattering amongst themselves.

Some of the more timid were already pale with terror, murmuring, "The Dragon King is angered! This one must have offended the Dragon King's divine presence while at sea!"

Others, fishermen with wild, fervent eyes, fell to their knees and bowed their heads to the fallen man, chanting, "The Dragon King has revealed himself! This is a divine summons, calling us back to the sea to enjoy eternal life!"

For a time, cries of alarm, kowtows, and speculation mingled in utter chaos.

Shangguan Chuci, witnessing the scene, could not help but furrow her elegant brows. With a thought, she secretly ignited the "Flame of Logic" in her mind's eye.

By the illumination of this inner fire, though she could not see through mere flesh and blood, in the world revealed by her mind’s light, she saw the man’s bloated belly was not due to ordinary dropsy, but teeming with no fewer than a hundred silver-scaled fish, writhing madly within.

Judging by the number and distribution of the silver fish, it was not hard to surmise that the man's internal organs had long since been devoured by those creatures. In other words, though he had seemed alive just moments before, he had in fact been dead for some time. This sudden eruption was merely the final act.

As Shangguan Chuci’s thoughts raced, Ling Jue’s face had grown ashen. With a sharp, commanding shout, he barked, “Step aside!”

No sooner had he spoken than his figure flashed, and he was already before the fallen man.

The crowd saw only a blur, heard a muffled “thud,” and then a burst of blood as a head soared from its shoulders, rolling several feet across the ground.

The sight alone was horrifying, but what followed made the onlookers cry out in terror.

From the headless corpse, not only did blood spurt forth like a fountain, but countless living silver-scaled fish leapt and flailed within the crimson stream, their silvery sheen eerily contrasting with the blood.

Ling Jue’s blade rose and fell without a flicker of emotion. He tore a piece of tattered cloth from the corpse and swiftly bound the spurting neck.

Behind him, two armored Demon-Suppression Guards, trained and unflinching, drew their waist knives and, without hesitation, hacked and stomped the bloodstained silver fish on the ground, reducing them to pulp in the blink of an eye.

Their actions were swift and efficient, but those watching were gripped with fear, not daring to utter another word.

With the matter resolved, Ling Jue sheathed his blade. Before the carnage and the shocked crowd, he said nothing, merely cupped his hands to Shangguan Chuci and Lin Jianyan, and spoke in a low voice, “This is no place to linger. Let’s go.”

Under the gaze of all present, the group departed in silence.

Having just encountered a bizarre evil spirit at the inn, and now a bloody disaster at the fish market, the atmosphere among the Demon-Suppression Bureau had grown even more grim.

Midway through their journey, Shangguan Chuci’s mind became increasingly active. She weighed the events and drew some conclusions, then suddenly spoke:

“Commander Ling, there is something I do not understand.”

“You mentioned earlier that you were delayed two days in coming to inspect the inn because of urgent matters in Zhenhaichuan. May I ask, was this ‘urgent matter’ the strange illness of people harboring fish in their bellies?”

Ling Jue paused almost imperceptibly, a trace of discomfort flickering across his stern face. He did not answer, instead casting his gaze toward Lin Jianyan at his side.

Lin Jianyan sighed softly, knowing the matter could no longer be concealed, and replied in a gentle voice, “You are perceptive, miss. Your guess is correct. The matter of humans harboring fish in their abdomens is not an isolated case. In recent days, it has occurred throughout Zhenhaichuan, though always in secret.”

“We handled it quietly to avoid alarming the public and causing greater unrest, never making it known.”

Shangguan Chuci nodded. “I see. Yet I have another doubt. To my knowledge, such a phenomenon of transformation or spiritual affliction should only occur among cultivators. How could ordinary mortals suffer such a mutation?”

Lin Jianyan replied, “You speak to a confusion I too have pondered. I even consulted the Chief Inspector about it. According to the Chief, the turbid current pervades all between heaven and earth; it is everywhere. Cultivators, by breathing in spiritual energy and communing with the cosmos, are more susceptible to its corruption.”

“However, that does not mean mortals are entirely immune. If they come into direct contact with the turbid current, even ordinary folk may suffer aberrations.”

Shangguan Chuci fell silent, her bright eyes gazing toward the distant East Sea.

At the horizon where sky and sea met, darkness gathered and low clouds pressed down. The oppressive sense of the impending Dragon Tide was growing ever more real.

After a pause, she spoke slowly, “With the Dragon Tide nearly upon us, for such an incident to occur at this juncture is most ominous. Do the Astrological Bureau and the esteemed masters of the Nine Provinces’ Immortal Sects know of this?”

Lin Jianyan sighed again at the question. “This is a grave matter. Though we have kept it from the people, how could we dare not report it to the Astrological Bureau and the Immortal Sects? A moment’s delay could lead to catastrophe.”

She paused, then continued, “The Immortal Sects, having received word, suspect some aberration in the East Sea. Yet Zhenhaichuan is but a corner of East Province. If we consider the whole of the Nine Provinces, the matter may be far more complex.”

“Oh?” Shangguan Chuci’s eyes flickered. “What do you mean by that, Commissioner Lin?”

Lin Jianyan explained, “You have surely heard that three thousand years ago, an immortal of great power suppressed the Demon Emperor who ruled over the Four Realms of Monsters, sealing him somewhere within the Nine Provinces.”

“These three millennia, the monster kingdoms have feigned submission to our Great Zhou Celestial Dynasty, but their wolfish ambitions have never waned. Now that the seal is weakening, the monsters grow restless, and border wars have become incessant.”

“Hence, there are two schools of thought among the Immortal Sects.”

“One side believes the abnormality in Zhenhaichuan is a plot of the monster clans. Given its strategic location and connections to overseas islands, their actions could serve multiple purposes, coordinating with the unrest at the borders.”

“The other side suspects the Turbid Current Cult is working mischief in secret, plotting some unspeakable scheme.”

Shangguan Chuci listened, then asked, “And what of the Astrological Bureau? What is their view?”

Lin Jianyan replied, “Their lords hold yet a different opinion. They believe this incident may be intricately linked to the great upheaval at the Abyss of Heaven and Earth three thousand years ago—a most dire omen.”

“All parties have already dispatched agents in secret, hoping to unravel the truth before the Dragon Tide arrives.”

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Chuci suddenly recalled the ‘marine nuclear pollution’ of another world. Though this realm knew nothing of nuclear radiation, the underlying principle was much the same.

A thought struck her, and she spoke pensively, “Commissioner Lin, I have a humble suggestion—if I may be so bold.”

Seeing her earnest expression, Lin Jianyan quickly replied, “Please speak freely, miss.”

“In my view,” said Shangguan Chuci, “everyone is focused on the workings of man, but perhaps this is not a human-made disaster, but a natural one.”

“Could it be that the fish of the East Sea themselves have developed some problem? The people of Zhenhaichuan may have suffered simply because they consumed tainted fish and shrimp.”

Lin Jianyan’s deer-like eyes lit up with delight. “What a novel insight! We had not considered that possibility. Thank you for pointing it out. When I return, I’ll begin the investigation at the fish market at once!”

Shangguan Chuci smiled faintly, flicking open her white jade fan. “It was but an idle thought. If it offers you any inspiration, I am glad.”

Though she spoke lightly, her heart sank, an overwhelming unease rising uncontrollably.

“If the fish of the East Sea are all tainted, what of that ancient phantom dragon slumbering in its depths—could it remain untouched?”

She was suddenly reminded of how, deep beneath the waves, the dragon’s call could stir the nameless abomination within Lu Chen Yuan’s body, requiring him to suppress it with the nameless heart method imparted by the grandmaster.

If so, that call was not necessarily well-intentioned...

At this thought, the already chill sea wind seemed to cut all the more sharply, sending a deeper shiver through her heart.